Bottle top covering



' z- 1940- A. c. KLEIN r AL 2,212,712

BOTTLE TOP COVERING Filed Aug. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l use:

INVENTORS' Andrew C. A7207 amt W61 #6 Payne 0 V/Q BY Wad ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1940 1. UNITED re-s PATENT OFFICE 2,212,712 BOTTLE TOP COVERING r Andrew G. Klein and-Walter ErPay nj 1' t W Beading, Pa 1 1 Application August 15, 1938, Serial nomazao'ra a I 5 Claims. I (oi, 22 e s6) Our invention relates to methods of, and I meansffonufolding flexible sheets over theends and alongthe sides of bottle necks and the like,

andtparticularly tosuch methods and meansias employed in forming sheet hoods or wrappersof Cellophane for the tops of bottles'containing milk or other liquids.

.Ithas heretofore been suggested, particularly among the sanitary precautions in the distribution of beverages, such asmilk'and other liquids,

to place hoods or caps extending overthe tops;

and along "the sides, of the bottles, these "caps In forming and mounting a beingconstructed cfflexible sheet material, such as Cellophane. I

hood of the aboveindicatedtype, it has been usual to draw' the sheetmaterial from'a roll to position in a horizontal plane over the bottle, cutth'e sheet to square form, part'of which remains in such plane across the top end of the neclnand the remainderetof which is pressed downwardly along the neck'sides, where it is bound as by paper tape. I i

, Aprior meansfor pressing the side portions of the hood or sheet downwardly along the bottle neck sides, comprises a flexible rubber layer having a circular opening therethrough of smaller diameter than the necktop, and radial slits extending outwardly in thelayer from the inner periphery of the opening, whereby-"to form radial fingers or arms. When the neck is pressed against the"Cellophane sheet and axially of the neck, and descend along the sides of the neckwith a wiping action and the fingers pointing upwardly, to press the Cellophane around, and downwardlyalong the sides of, the neck for the reception of the retaining tape.

Consequently, when the rubber layer and the bottle are withdrawn from each-other, there is a complete reversal of axial fiexure of the rubber fingers, during the initial motion of which, with the fingers pointing upwardly and the friction of the rubber, there is a tendency to undo the downward sheet-forming motion effect, until the fingers are turned to position pointing downwardly. g

This action is adverse to the hood, and with repetition, very quickly breaks off the fingers,

whereby frequent renewals of the rubberlayer are necessary.

The expense incident to this feature has caused operators to ignorethe breaking of fingers to apoint where hoods further deficient from this neck, and from fatigue or cause ha've been produced, and has been a reason against-the installation of the entire machine. }--Also, with such priordevice, the Cellophane is folded or affe'cted 'entirely by the rubber layer, a

which is held in place at its peripheral outer extremities-by a rigid support, which of itself does not operatively-engage or act on the hood;

Further, in the operation of the above-man tioned prior device, a plunger is *requiredlfor ejecting the bottle topfrom the'rubberlayer,

this plunger being power operated through" cam means, and requiring accurate timing and con- I "side'rable expensive mechanism of substantial size and large number ofparts.

, It is among the objects. of this-invention to avoid the disadvantages of a prior device of the above-indicated general type, and to improve the' 'inethod ofland means for, installingthe wrapper.

' the device moredurabla to avoid frequentjrenewal of parts, and to reduce the number of thelatter. W a v Another object of the invention is to reduce the'amount of flexible sheet material, or Cellophane, necessary to producean effective wrapper. I

- Another object of the invention is to prevent withdrawal or rumpling eifect on the wrapper after installing it. i

Another object of the invention is to" render thewrapper more" effective and neater in appearance, and to more efficiently install it, irrespective of the size of the bottle. i

Another object of the invention is to provide a Another object of the inventionis to assist the [withdrawal or the bottle necks from the 'wrapperinstalling means, 'by movable means in which energy is stored by action against the bottles during the bottle installing movement, and in which accuracy of' fit against the bottle tops is ensured irrespectiveof minor discrepances .in the levels of such tops.-

, Another object of the invention islito provide layer of a flexible bottle cover free from wrinkles whereby to add to the .efiectiveness of the cover and, where such coveris transparent, to provide clear vision therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character that is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and effective in its operation.

tion of the improvement, the invention com prises the elements and combinations thereof hereinafter. set. for h. and, c a ed. Wi the understanding that the several necessary elements oonstituting the same may be varied in proportion, arrangement and texture, without departing iromj the, spirit and scope of the invention as intended and as set f orth inthe drawings pecification and claim'ss I,

In order tqrender-the invention more clearly understood, means are shown in the accompany-' ing drawings for carrying the same into practical 7 effect, withoutlimiting the improvements in the useful-applicationsthereof to the particular constructions shown and described, whichare given merely by way oi example. i

In the drawings: 1 i u Figure lisa view taken substantially along the line ll of-Figgof a device for effecting certain actions infolding a ilexible sheet over the end and along the sides of a bottleneck and the like, in o an e, with; the in nti n;

Fig. 2 is a top plan ,view of the device of al: I .1

Fig. 3 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in longitudinal section of a plunger device for cooperation withtheoevice of Figs. 1 and 1L. L.

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, of a modified form of the device'thereof; and u .Figs; 5, 6, ,7,, a1nd 8' are progressive sequence diagrams of portions oI-the devices of, Figs. 1, '2 and 3 in cooperative relation to each other inthe operation of covering or capping the neck or top ofamilkloottle.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the, device is in the formof a rectangular support or plate A, constructedof ,metal, orother material, including upper, and lower platesflland l0, respectively, separately joined-to each other, .as .by screws I I,

, and having a centralopening [4 through both 60, i

plates.

The upper plate '9 hasa circular top riser l5 for fitting it to a part of amachine in which the device is adapted. to operate. Holes l2 are adapted to receive screws for attaching the device the machine. a

'Each plate 9' and Ill-has a circular recessin its broadside facing the other plate to. form an annular channellfi: for the reception of substantial; ly garter spring means H, which is maintained in movable-relation to the support by annular inner-peripheral overhanging portions 20 and 2| on the plates 9 and lll, respectively.

'The spring, in thisl-instanca'is a helical spring constructed from arr-initially straight helix having inturnedends-2.2 (Fig; '1), and a few of the or garter.

turns at each end 26 (Fig. 2) interlocked with turns at the other end, as by placing them together with a screw action; the inturned ends 22 diameter of the overhang 2! caused by space limitations, and to take advantage of the available space to ensure proper limitation of radially inward contraction of the spring ll.

As shown, the spring retaining means, including the overhanging portions 20 and 2|, and other parts of the support, function, in effect,

by partially embracing the spring from positions radially outwardly thereof to positions radially inwardly of the'axis of the helix, but radially With such objects in view, as well as other advantages which may be incidentto autiliza-f outwardly from the inner periphery of the spring As. shown, the spring i7 is free to expand radially outwardly in the channel IE, but

is limited in its inward contraction by the overhangstt and 2E, which are of larger diameter than the inner diameter. of the spring, whereby the latter freely engages and acts radiallyagainst theQneck of a. bottle, as will hereinafter-more clearly appear. g W In the device thus far described, the overhang 2i and the spring I? constitute means having axially successive sheet-.afi'ecting actions on the sheet 25, as will also later appear.

Referring to Fig. 3, a plunger device B therein shown, comprises a bracket or bearing 21, con.- stituting a part of the above-mentioned machine, forthe support of a plunger rod 30 having a vertical slot 29 for cooperation with a, pin 3.! in the bracket 2'1; to permit vertical reciprocation, but to prevent turning, of the rod in the bracket .or other bearing means. A nut or cap 32, held at the top of the rod 3i as. by a pin 35, limits down-- ward motion of the rod.

. -A compression spring 36 embraces the rodi30 between the bracket 2! and an element 37 that is longitudinally slidably mounted on the rod and adapted to be held in fixed adjusted position, as by a screw 40'.

*A washer-like element 4! is looselyor yieldl ably mounted at the lower end of the plunger rod 38, as by being mounted on a reduced section 62' of the rod of slightly greater length than the thickness of the element 4i at this point, and held 'in place, as by a nut 4 The element ll may be merely loosely mounted, as shown, or this looseness may be damped by a yieldable or spring washer, or other means between the rod and the element- This feature provides accurateseating of the element on the bottle top, irrespective of minor discrepancies in the level or contour of the latter.

A rubber washer 46, or equivalent means, may be angularly or otherwise disposed on the element 4| such that, when the element is pressed against thetop of the bottle neck, it will provide a radial stretching effect on Cellophane or other fiexible sheet material across the top of. the bottle or neck by tending to press. the sheet downwardly and outwardly at the top perimeter of the neck.

This featureassists in fitting the sheet tothe bottle and rendering the top-layer thereof smooth,

and provides clearer vision through the layer.

To ensure against the formation of avacuum or suction between the element ll and the flexible sheet or wrapper at the top of the bottle, a

ture is substantially the same as that of Figs.

1 and 2, except for the shape of an opening I la corresponding to the opening M. The open ing 14a is substantially rectangular, but may be ovalor of other shape to adapt the device to bottle necksor the like of other cross sectional contours.

Parts of the device of Fig. 4 corresponding to parts of the device of Figs. 1 and 2, are designated by corresponding reference characters having the subscript (a).

Referring to Figs. 5-8, illustrating the operation of the devices of Figs. 1-3, above set forth, in placing the sheet 25 on a bottle 50, Fig. 5 illustrates. an initial or first position, in which the devices A and B are spaced above the bottle, and the sheet 25 is between the device A and the bottle.

As thebottle is raised, or the devices A and B lowered, an upper flange 5! of a neck 52 of the bottle 50 may first engage the overhang M of the lower plate It} in a relation somewhat as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6; the initial bending of the sheet 25 thus being effected by the overhang which is made up of elements of its periphery having fixed radial position on the support formed by the plates 9 and i9 around the aperture M, and being shaped, as shown, to render its bending or folding effect gradual, and notof sudden character tending to damage the sheet, as might be effected by a sharp edge of small diameter compared to the flange 5i.

As the operation continues to the phase of Fig. 7, the spring ll, being of smaller diameter than the flange 5|, and protruding radially inwardly from the channel it), engages and rolls over this flange about the circular axis of the helix, thus constituting substantially anti-friction or antiwiping means for continuing the formation of the drawal of the bottle, irrespective of the size of the latter.

With the sheet 25 formed into a smooth fitting hood, wrapper or cap over the top and along the sides of a bottle neck or the like, as above set forth, a tape or band 55 (Fig. 8) may be applied around the neck 52 below the flange 5|, as an element, and by means, not of themselves constituting parts of this invention, but in cooperation with, or including, which the invention is comprised.

The invention may, of course, be variously opthe enhancement of the machine, and various other considerations making the invention an improvement generally in its field.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a device for forming a flexible sheet hood on a milk bottle and the like having a neckflange,

abody having a vertical opening entirely therethrough for receiving the bottle neck by relative movement of the bottle and the body from a position of the bottle top under the sheet below the body to a position of the neck through said opening with a portion of the sheet over the top and along the neck to provide for binding the sheet around the neck above said body below said flange, means on said body including springbiased sheet-engaging elements for exerting yieldable garter-like pressure against the sheet around the neck, and means providing for bodily movement of said sheet-engaging elements relative to said body and centering the same horizontally relative to the vertical axis of said opening.

2. In a bottle-hooding device, a body structure having an opening therethrough and a chamber portion around said opening, radially-inner spring centering means on said body forming a slot-like aperture around said opening, and garter-like spring means in said chamber around said opening normally radially contracted to position engaging said spring centering means centered thereby relative to, and projecting into, said opening through said slot and radially expansible in the chamber away from said centering means.

3. In a bottle-hooding device, a body structure having a vertical opening 'therethrough and a horizontal chamber portion around said opening, radially-inner spring centering means on upper and lower portions of said body, the said spring centering means on at least one of said body portions overhanging the chamber and with the spring centering means on the other body portion forming a horizontal slot around said opening of less vertical width than the chamber, and garterlike spring means positioned in said chamber around said opening of greater vertical width than said slot normally radially contracted to position engaging said spring centering means centered thereby relative to, and protruding into,

said opening through said slot and radially expansible in the chamber away from said spring centering means.

l. In a bottle-hooding device, a body having a vertical opening therethrough and a horizontal chambered portion around said opening including radially-inner spring-centering portions overhanging the chamber upwardly and downwardly from lower and upper portions, respectively, of the body forming a horizontal slot around said opening of less vertical Width than the chamber, and a garter spring positioned in said chamber around saidopening of greater vertical width than said slot normally radially contracted to position engaging said overhanging portions centered thereby relative to, and protruding into, i

said opening through said slot and radially expansible in the chamber away from said overhanging portions.

'5. In a bottle-hooding device, a body having a vertical opening therethrough and a horizontal chambered portion around said opening having an inner surface of substantially C-section including radially-inner spring-centering curved inner-surface portions overhanging the chamber upwardly and downwardly from separate lower and upper portions, respectively, of the body forming a horizontal slot around said opening of ,to position substantially tangentially engaging the curved inner surfaces of said overhanging.

portions centered thereby relative to, and protruding into,-said opening through said slot and radially expansiblejin the chamber from said overhanging portions, said separate portions providing for the reception of said garterspring to the chamber independently of said slot, and

means for connecting said separate portions to '5 i I each other radially outwardly of said spring.

ANDREW C. KLEIN. WALTER E. PAYNE. 

